What a Mess

So, my study abroad plans? They were nice, weren't they? :)

....Have the summer to get my German ready and get my VISA, go to Bonn, Germany next fall, break into the study abroad experience in the country that feels more like home than the others, take mostly language and culture courses, live on campus, be centrally located to explore, be in Germany for Oktoberfest and early Christmas festivities...
.....When the cold starts getting a bit old, head to Florida for a short winter break, get my Spanish VISA, then on to Pamplona, Spain for the Spring. I won't have time to brush up on language, but I need it least for Spanish. Spend spring semester studying Journalism in the Pyrenees...
... Come back to the US for a while, maybe do an internship over the summer, go back to MU to take mostly Journalism and Spanish courses, have plenty of time to brush up on Norwegian and get my VISA...
... Go to Bergen, Norway for the next Spring, when it's getting lighter every day, I can have Syttende Mai, etc, end in the lovely Norwegian summer and maybe hop about Scandinavia for a week or two before coming home...

It was a nice plan. But it had one fatal flaw.

The Study Abroad office made a mistake, and then assured me that the mistake was correct. You can't go to Bonn in the fall. You can't go ANYWHERE in Germany in the fall - their academic calendar goes October - March. So I can say goodbye to my little plan.

This leaves me with a few different options.

1.) Go somewhere else next fall.
Pros: Doesn't mess up Pamplona or Bergen, going somewhere new is always awesome, I could go to Asia or something! (I'd love to go to Japan, Finland, Italy... or anywhere!)
Cons: I already told my German friends I'm coming to Germany, I won't be able to minor in German, I'll have to go somewhere where I don't know the language well enough to take my classes in it.

2.) Go to Germany in the spring.
Pros: I get to go to Germany, minor in German, have not lied to my German friends, etc.
Cons: It messes up Bergen and/or Pamplona, no Christmas or Octoberfest, the Spring semester in Germany eats most of the summer, so I'll have two winter months hanging out in Florida randomly and no time for an internship that summer.

Now, number 2 is really multiple options. Just as the main Study Abroad page said I could go to Germany in the fall when I couldn't, the Journalism Study Abroad page said I couldn't go to Spain in the fall when I... can? Their academic calendar, which I looked up, goes only to December, so why can't I? I went to ask, and it turns out that the change is a recent one. By Fall 2011, students will be able to go to Spain in the fall. There's also a possibility that the program will be ready by fall 2010. So...

2.a.) Go to Spain next fall, go to Germany next Spring, and go to Norway at the original time (Spring 2012)
Pros: Doesn't mess up Norway, I get to go to all three countries, VISA situation is no more difficult than originally.
Cons: Whole plan contingent on the Journalism school.

2.b.) Stay here next fall, go to Germany next Spring, go to Spain fall 2011, and then go to Norway at the original time (Spring 2012)
Pros: Doesn't mess up Norway, not contingent on the Journalism school.
Cons: VISA situation becomes insanely difficult to work with. I'll be studying abroad for a solid year and a half, probably having to come back for a few days at a time just to apply for new visas, I'll have to rearrange my academic plan for here at Mizzou, most of my friends are studying abroad next year and graduating the year after, so I won't really see them again.

2.c.) Stay here next fall, go to Spain next Spring, go to Norway fall 2011, and then go to Germany spring 2012. (Or flip Spain and Germany in this scenario)
Pros: Christmas in Norway! :) Visa situation is easier than in 2.b.
Cons: It's dark and depressing when I'm in Norway, I'll have to rearrange my academic plan for here at Mizzou, most of my friends are studying abroad next year and graduating the year after, so I won't really see them again.

2.d.) Go to Norway next fall, go to Spain or Germany next Spring, MU fall 2011, and then Germany or Spain Spring 2012.
Pros: Don't have to rearrange my academic plan at MU, I'll see my friends like I planned, Christmas in Norway! :) Visa situation is easier than in 2.b.
Cons: It's dark and depressing when I'm in Norway, I really wanted to go to Norway last - sounds silly but I just don't feel ready to go to Norway yet this fall.

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I'm crossing my fingers for 2.a. I don't like it as much as my original plan, but my original plan doesn't work, so I might as well forget about that. But, 2.a. depends on the Journalism school...

Otherwise, I'm leaning towards 2.b despite the visa madness that might ensue, as long as it's possible.

If it's /not/ possible, I'm genuinely torn between 1, 2.c and 2.d.

So I'll just have to wait and see...




There's also maybe an option 3. I could go to a program like this one: http://www.isep.org/students/Directory/member_site.asp?CSID=79&ID=189

It's not really the same as directly enrolling in a German University, and I may or may not be able to minor in German, but it's actually not very much more expensive than going through MU, it would actually be easier for me and a good way to break into study abroad, and it wouldn't upset my other plans at all.